Although your body is already in possession of the bacteria leading to tuberculosis, your immune system is able to prevent you from becoming sick. Doctors have made a distinction between latent and active tuberculosis (TB). In case of latent TB, the bacteria in the body in a passive state and it causes no symptoms, and therefore it is not contagious. But, in the case of active TB, you would become sick and may even spread the disease to others. It can take place in the first few weeks or even after several months of being infected with TB bacteria.

What are the symptoms of active TB?
If you are coughing for over three weeks and sometimes even coughing up blood, it can be a sign of TB. Chest pain and pain while coughing and breathing along with fatigue, fever, chills and night sweat are the common symptoms of TB along with loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss. TB may even affect other organs of your body, including your brain, spine and kidneys. When TB takes place outside the lungs, then the signs of TB can vary as per the organs that are involved. For instance, TB in the spine can cause back pain and that in kidneys may cause blood in the urine.

What are the causes of TB?

TB is stemmed from a bacteria which spreads from individual to individual via the microscopic droplets that are released into the air. This may happen when an affected person is left untreated and he speaks or sneezes or coughs or laughs. Though the disease is contagious, it is not easy to be affected by it. As a result, you are much more likely to get affected with active tuberculosis from a person you live with or come in regular contact with, rather than a stranger. It is important to note here that people who are affected with TB and going through proper medications for over two weeks are no more contagious.

Right from the 1980s, the number of individuals affected with TB has increased dramatically, owing to the spread of HIV, which is the virus known for causing AIDS. A person infected with HIV has a weak immunity system as a result of which it becomes difficult for the body to deal with TB bacteria. So those who have AIDS are more likely to be affected with active TB and sometimes the latent form also progresses to an active one very quickly. Therefore, it is important to seek medical assistance and detect if you have any such health complications concerning TB.

Know The Reasons Behind Tuberculosis!

COPD, also known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a chronic medical condition that triggers extensive damage to the lungs, interfering with its functioning. In COPD, the lungs and the air sacs or the alveoli undergo severe inflammation that gives rise to a host of complications including wheezing, shortness of breath and other related breathing troubles. While an early medical assistance is instrumental in proper management and treatment of COPD, in most cases, the associated symptoms and discomfort appear at a later stage (when the lungs have already undergone damage and inflammation). Thus, a proper awareness about COPD is necessary. In this article, we will discuss some important points related to COPD to help people understand the condition better.

While there can be a plethora of triggers, two of the medical conditions that elevate the incidence of COPD are Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema. The bronchial tubules functions as a carrier transporting the air (oxygenated and deoxygenated) from the lungs to the different body parts and vice versa. 

In case of Chronic Bronchitis, the lining of these tubules undergo severe inflammation. 
In the case of Emphysema, the inner walls of the alveoli may rupture resulting in deleterious consequences including breathlessness.
For long people were of the opinion that COPD only affects people who smoke. However, various surveys suggest that COPD does affect non-smokers as well. While smoking does make a person more susceptible to the condition (COPD as well as Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema), other factors such as chronic and severe neonatal lung ailments or prolonged exposure to the harmful gases and lung irritants can also act as triggers.

Though the incidences of COPD are relatively higher in people above 45 years, the young adults or the middle-aged can also be affected. Also, COPD is not limited to males and can affect females as well. Some of the symptoms associated with COPD include chest tightness, wheezing, breathlessness, chronic cough (often with mucus). These symptoms are quite similar to those of Asthma with people often confusing between the conditions. Thus, a proper diagnosis is vital. Spirometry is a lung test used in the diagnosis of COPD. This test evaluates the functioning of the lungs by measuring the amount of air inhaled and exhaled.

When we talk about the treatment or management of COPD, quitting smoking does improve the condition. For people with breathing troubles and chronic cough, the Bronchodilators (can be long-acting or short-acting Bronchodilators depending on the extent of the discomfort) comes as a great relief. The use of corticosteroids (inhaled) can go a long way to alleviate the inflammation of the airways.

In extreme cases with reduced oxygen reaching the blood, a person may need Oxygen Therapy to improve the condition. Of late the Pulmonary rehabilitation program have been benefiting people in dealing with COPD better. The program involves an amalgamation of counselling sessions to educate the people about the diet and nutrition, precautions to be followed along with some healthy lifestyle changes.

COPD - Things You Must Always Remember!

Although your body is already in possession of the bacteria leading to tuberculosis, your immune system is able to prevent you from becoming sick. Doctors have made a distinction between latent and active tuberculosis (TB). In case of latent TB, the bacteria in the body in a passive state and it causes no symptoms, and therefore it is not contagious. But, in the case of active TB, you would become sick and may even spread the disease to others. It can take place in the first few weeks or even after several months of being infected with TB bacteria.

What are the symptoms of active TB?

If you are coughing for over three weeks and sometimes even coughing up blood, it can be a sign of TB. 
Chest pain and pain while coughing and breathing along with fatigue, fever, chills and night sweat are the common symptoms of TB along with loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss. TB may even affect other organs of your body, including your brain, spine and kidneys. 
When TB takes place outside the lungs, then the signs of TB can vary as per the organs that are involved. For instance, TB in the spine can cause back pain and that in kidneys may cause blood in the urine.
What are the causes of TB?
TB is caused by a bacteria which spreads from individual to individual via the microscopic droplets that are released into the air. This may happen when an affected person is left untreated and he speaks or sneezes or coughs or laughs. 

Though the disease is contagious, it is not easy to be affected by it. As a result, you are much more likely to get affected with active tuberculosis from a person you live with or come in regular contact with, rather than a stranger. It is important to note here that people who are affected with TB and going through proper medications for over two weeks are no more contagious.

Right from the 1980s, the number of individuals affected with TB has increased dramatically, owing to the spread of HIV, which is the virus known for causing AIDS. A person infected with HIV has a weak immunity system as a result of which it becomes difficult for the body to deal with TB bacteria. So those who have AIDS are more likely to be affected with active TB and sometimes the latent form also progresses to an active one very quickly. Therefore, it is important to seek medical assistance and detect if you have any such health complications concerning TB.

Tuberculosis - Watch Out For These Warning Signs!

Tonsils are the two oval-shaped tissue pads at the back of your throat, which function as a mechanism to protect you from diseases. Any infection of the tonsils is referred to as  tonsillitis .

You can suffer from tonsillitis at any age, but it is more commonly diagnosed in children. Tonsillitis is highly contagious.

There are two types of tonsillitis:

Chronic tonsillitis Longer episodes of acute tonsillitis
Recurrent tonsillitis Recurrent episodes of tonsillitis in a year
Causes

Tonsillitis can cause viral and bacterial infections. The  Streptococcus (strep) bacteria  is a common cause. Some other causes include:

Adenoviruses
Influenza virus
Epstein-Barr virus
Parainfluenza virus
Enteroviruses
Herpes simplex virus
Symptoms

Since tonsillitis has various causes, symptoms too tend to differ. Some symptoms include:

An extremely sore throat
Painful or difficult swallowing
Scratchy-sounding voice
Bad breath
Fever
Chills
Earaches
Stomach aches
Headaches
Stiff neck
Neck and jaw tenderness due to inflamed lymph nodes
Tonsils that become swollen and red in colour
Yellow or white spots on the tonsils
In children, symptoms such as excessive drooling, increased irritability or poor appetite are usually noticeable.

Treatment

If the tonsillitis is mild, especially caused by a virus, it usually doesn t require any treatment. More critical cases of tonsillitis might require treatments such as tonsillectomy (a surgical process used to remove the tonsils) or administration of antibiotics.

Penicillin is the most commonly administered antibiotic. Once commonly performed, tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils) is now reserved for extremely critical cases. 

Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Tonsillitis

Sinuses are cavities in our skull behind the nose which spread out in a pattern. These cavities are lined with tissues and mucosal membranes and are essential for our breathing process. Sinusitis is a condition where the tissues within the cavities become inflamed which results in the sinus cavities being blocked due to a buildup of fluid.

What are the conditions that can lead to sinusitis?
Some of the conditions that can cause nasal polyps are explained as follows:

Nasal polyps are small growths of tissue within the lining of the nose which may block the sinuses, resulting in sinusitis.
Common cold is also a culprit which may result in sinusitis
If your septum or the bridge between the holes of the nose is deviated (this condition is referred to as a deviated septum), you may be prone to developing sinusitis.
The lining of the nose may swell in a condition known as allergic rhinitis and cause sinusitis as well.
Types of sinusitis
There are multiple types of sinusitis which may affect people and also on how long they last. The various types of sinusitis are explained below:

Acute sinusitis: This is the most common form of sinusitis that lasts usually between 2 to 4 weeks. It starts with a cold, blocked nose and turns into facial pain that usually starts very suddenly.
Chronic sinusitis: This is a form of sinus infection which can have a debilitating effect on your life and may last for 12 weeks or longer.
Sub-acute sinusitis: This is somewhere between acute and chronic sinusitis and may last from anywhere between 4 to 12 weeks.
Recurrent sinusitis: This form of sinus infections tend to be a variation of acute or sub-acute sinusitis which tends to occur multiple times a year.
Symptoms of sinusitis
The manifestation of the symptoms of sinusitis may be different from person to person and also on the type of sinusitis you are suffering from. However, there are some generic symptoms that are common to all forms which are mentioned as follows:

Smelling senses may be dulled
Facial pain
Congestion accompanied by a cough
Nose may be blocked, stuffy and may also be runny
Other symptoms may also include bad breath, fatigue, or even dental pain
Nasal cavity may have pus and it may drain from time to time
It is best to consult a doctor quickly, if you have been having any of these symptoms. The doctor can prescribe nasal decongestants and antibiotics which can help. If you have chronic or recurrent sinusitis, then more aggressive and advanced treatments may be required.

Sinusitis - Conditions That Lead to It!

Sinusitis or sinus infections can be quite a debilitating ailment when it becomes recurrent. Sinuses are cavities within our head just behind the nose which extends up to our forehead and to certain areas of the cheeks. These cavities are filled with a mucosal lining which helps you breathe and also filters the air which goes to the lungs. When the mucosal lining gets inflamed, it blocks the normal drainage of the mucus into the nose. This results in headaches, nasal polyps and general discomfort. Homeopathy offers some great remedies for this condition, without side effects. Some of these are discussed below.

Homeopathic remedies for sinus problems

Belladonna: This medication is very effective when the sinusitis has resulted in a suppressed discharge from the nose which occurs intermittently. If you have a splitting headache which feels unbearable, Belladonna can help relieve the symptoms quickly. If the infection of the sinus has spread to the throat and results in cough, Belladonna can be equally effective in those circumstances as well.
Pulsatilla: If you are experiencing a greenish mucosal discharge from your nose without a painful burning sensation within it, Pulsatilla can be a very effective cure. Another indication where this medication is very effective is when you have headaches centered just above your eyes rather than over the forehead or other parts of your face.
Kali Bichrome: This is another commonly prescribed medication to deal with the symptoms of sinusitis as well as to reduce inflammation and cure sinusitis altogether. If you have a lot of mucosal discharge that drops into your throat along with discharges through the nose, Kali Bichrome is the drug to go to. Other indications where it is effective are pain and heaviness in the nose and the inability to breathe with headaches in and around the eyes.
Silicea: If you are feeling cold and constantly chilly along with nasal stuffiness, Silicea is the medication to go to. Along with discharges, your nose may form hard mucous crusts within it. Trying to manually remove these crusts may also cause bleeding. Silicea will reduce these symptoms and is also effective in reducing a headache which occurs mostly on the left side of your face.
Merc Sol: If you are experiencing a yellowish green discharge from the nose along with a burning sensation and increased saliva secretion in your mouth, Merc Sol is the remedy to turn to. It is also effective wherein the headache has spread all around the head.

Troubled by Sinus Problems - Choose Homeopathy!

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